October 24, 2014

Barber

Barber is Georgia's New Graduate School of Banking Trustee

The Board of Trustees of the Graduate School of Banking at LSU (GSB) met
recently to review the 2014 session and finalize plans for the 2015 session.
Brad Barber, president & CEO of First National Bank of Decatur
County, Bainbridge, has joined the board as the Georgia representative.
Keith Anthony of the Farmers Bank, Forsyth, is president of the
class that will be graduating next year, and GBA will be hosting a reception
for the Georgia students during the first week of the two-week session.
We're looking forward to seeing those continuing in their second- and
third-year classes as well as the new students beginning their studies. With
questions, contact
Joe Brannen, 404.420.2026.

Final QRM Rule a Positive Outcome for Consumers, Industry

Regulators this week finalized the mortgage risk retention rule required by
the Dodd-Frank Act for companies that originate and sell mortgages into the
secondary market. The important news is that there's no down-payment
requirement for loans to be considered a qualified residential mortgage (QRM),
and the standards are aligned with the Consumer Financial Protection
Bureau's Qualified Mortgage rule.
Access a lot more QRM analysis and a link to the final rule here...

Related: Integrated Mortgage Solutions:

Nov. 18

On Aug. 1, 2015, disclosures for consumer real estate loans will be
replaced by a loan estimate and closing disclosure developed by the CFPB.
GBA's
Integrated Mortgage Solutions Seminar will address the new forms
in detail and cover suggested changes to current procedures for taking
applications, processing, and closing consumer real estate loans. This
seminar is Nov. 18 at the Idle Hour Country Club in Macon.
Please click here to register online. If you have any questions
please contact GBA's
Danielle Driggers, 404.420.2002.

Scott

Scott Signs on to Sub S Tax Equity Support Letter

We appreciate U.S. Rep. David Scott's (D-Atlanta) signature on a
letter to regulatory agencies requesting that they take additional steps to
better level the playing field between Subchapter S banks and Subchapter C
banks, particularly in regard to the Basel III capital conservation buffer
rules. We reported last week about our request for Scott's support of the
letter by Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO). Rep. Lynn Westmoreland
(R-Sharpsburg) also is a co-signer. Scott and Westmoreland are the two
Georgia members on the House Financial Services Committee, and it was
important to show bipartisan support for the change.

Privacy Notice Requirement Eased

A time- and money-saving rule about privacy notices for banks was finalized
this week. The CFPB Monday announced that banks can fulfill
Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act privacy notice requirements by either posting privacy
notices online or including the notice with a regular mailing. Banks can
post online instead of sending the mailings as long as the customer's
information is not shared in a way that triggers opt-out requirements. While
the rule is definitely good, there is some additional legislative work that
would help clarify the actual law.
More about loosening privacy notice requirements here...

Last Chance to Register!

Consumer Protection Workshop - Oct. 29-30

This workshop is an interactive one-and-a-half-day event designed to
provide information about current topics of interest and enhance knowledge
of consumer protection laws and regulations. FDIC presenters and
participants will include regional and local managers, regional specialists
and compliance examiners.Contact
Danielle Driggers, 404.420.2002, with questions or to register.

Leadership GBA Executive Committee Meeting Held This Week

The
Leadership GBA Executive Committee met this week to discuss
banking trends and to plan events for the upcoming year. "We had a great
meeting and are looking forward to next year's Leadership Conference," said
President Parrish Clark, Guardian Bank, Valdosta. "We've also
got some new events we're planning for 2015 that we're pretty excited
about." Stay tuned for more updates down the road...

HR Committee Meeting Highlights

The GBA
Human Resources Committeemet this week in to discuss trends in
bank HR and begin planning its annual GBA HR Professionals Institute.
Frankie Wright,Georgia Bank & Trust, Augusta, chairs the
committee, and Tommy Zielinski, State Bank & Trust Company,
Atlanta, is the committee vice chair. The 2015 GBA HR Professionals
Institute will be Feb. 19-20, 2015, at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta.
We'll send out a full agenda and all the important details soon. With
questions, contact
Kathy Friestad, 404.420.2024.

Related:
Get your copy of the 2014 GBA Compensation and Benefits Survey now to see
how your bank's compensation program measures up with peers. Contact
Kenyetta Parks, 404.420.2035, for details and to order.

2015 Annual Legislative Reception

and Legislative/Economic Update, Jan. 14

Mark your calendars to attend GBA's annual
Legislative Receptionhonoring the members of the General
Assembly, the Constitutional Officers, the statewide Judiciary and other
dignitaries. This premier event will be Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015, at the
Fabulous Fox Theatre. The GBA Board of Directors, the GBA Public Affairs
Committee members and the GBA BankPAC Board of Directors will also host a
Legislative and Economic update earlier that afternoon at The Georgian
Terrace.

Take a Lunch Break and Be a Georgia Voter; That's What We Did

GBA staffers are taking advantage of early voting. Some of us walked down
to the nearby early voting polling place during a lunch break this week and
breezed through the line. "It's almost cliché to say that elections matter,
but this year, these elections matter! With the open U.S. Senate seat and
the battle for the Governor's office showing as virtually tied in the polls,
every vote is important," said GBA President & CEO Joe Brannen
(pictured below with GBA Marketing and Communications Coordinator Bo
Brannen).

Banks Go Nuts for Georgia Peanuts

There were tons of Georgia peanuts this week at our state's banks. It's
been
Georgia Peanut Bank week, and GBA members in all corners of
Georgia have helped promote our state's largest crop during this annual
promotion. This is the 38th year GBA has co-sponsored the promotion with the
Georgia Peanut Commission. Check back next week for a full rundown of GBA
member participation.

Georgia Blueberries Take Top Ranking

Georgia produced 96 million pounds of blueberries this year, making it the
top state for blueberry production according to the North American Blueberry
Council. Georgia's crop surpassed long-time leader Michigan for the first
time. Georgia's 20,000 blueberry acres are mostly located in South Georgia.
An
Atlanta Journal-Constitution article notes that Scott NeSmith,
a University of Georgia researcher, developed 15 blueberry varieties.

GBA in the News

Technology Spending Trends Article Features GBA Perspective

Reporters continue to call on GBA for insight into the state’s banking
industry. There’s been a spike in technology spending, according to research
from SNL Financial. In a story this week, SNL contacted GBA for some
perspective about how that trend is playing out in Georgia. We pointed out
three areas where Georgia banks are spending more on technology. One area is
for new technology to meet shifting customer preferences.
Access a link to the SNL article about tech spending at banks here...

How Your Bank Can Get a .bank Domain

The .com world has become overcrowded, making it difficult for banks to
stand out. Thousands of new domains—including .bank—are making their way to
the Internet. ABA and other entities within the banking industry established
fTLD Registry Services to operate .bank and to ensure it is governed in the
best interests of banks and their customers. The new .bank domain opens up
much-needed virtual real estate and provides new marketing and branding
opportunities. Only verified members of the banking community will be able
to register a .bank domain.
Here’s a flier about the new .bank domain and how to get more information
about registering...

What the Market Roller Coaster Means for Your 401(k)

With the recent decline in the stock market, it is a very common for
emotion to take over and retirement plan participants to make hasty
investment decisions. When investing in a retirement plan, participants need
to maintain their long-term investment focus to have a chance to recoup
their losses. Reliance Trust Company, the Investment Manager and
Discretionary Trustee for GBA Retirement Services 401(k) Plans, has released
its own commentary regarding recent stock market volatility.
Plan participants can access that analysis here...

New Atlanta Fed Webcast Worth a Look

A good overview of improving conditions for banks in the Southeast compared
to the downturn is the subject of the inaugural "ViewPoint Live" webcast by
the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. "The banking environment continues to
improve steadily, but some lingering challenges remain," said Atlanta Fed
Supervision and Regulation (S&R) Chief Michael Johnson during the
first of the twice-yearly webcasts.
More about the new Fed webcast here...

Community Banking Research Resource Available from CSBS

The Conference of State Bank Supervisors has released a reference guide
covering materials from the Community Banking in the 21st Century Research
Conference held Sept. 23-24 at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. The
guide contains high-level talking points covering major themes of the
conference, a one-page summary of each research paper presented at the
conference, and quotes where relevant from the research papers.
Get the guide here...

Find a Job, Post a Job with GBA Job Bank

The Georgia Bankers Association offers free job posting resources for our
member banks. These listings can be viewed
online or through our print publication, the GBA Bulletin, mailed
every other week.
Resume postings are also available. For more information, please
contact
Kenyetta Parks.

GBA Strategic Partner Spotlight

Click the logos below to lern more about these important GBA Partners...

GBA Newsmakers

Read All About It: Send Us Your News

Please remember to include the Georgia Bankers Association on the list of
recipients for announcements about promotions, new employees and special
recognition your bank has received. We want to share your news with your
colleagues across the state. Please forward your announcements and photos to
GBA's
David Oliver and Bogan Brannen.